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WSJ: Fans Say ESPN's World Cup Coverage Deserves Penalty

  • Thread starter fred flintstone
  • Start date

F

fred flintstone

Guest
RadioDailyNews.com:
The World Cup is generating record television audiences for soccer in the U.S. But some die-hard fans think the coverage deserves a red card. Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN and ABC have been hit with complaints from soccer devotees that their telecasts are unsophisticated and mistake-ridden. The popular Web site Big Soccer has a thread titled "Pick your favorite insane thing said by the announcers so far"
FULL ARTICLE
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB115205934369497935-p7zzoDIaTTMsg18YJAeHQhPCU50_20060803.html?mod=tff_main_tff_top
Click to expand...
What those idiots in Bristol need to do:
  • Show the game.
  • Describe what is happening.
  • Shut the ____ up.
 
Though nowhere near fluent in Spanish, what WC soccer I've watched, I've watched on Univision, but only because I could never get used to a voice with an American accent calling soccer. If a non-premium, British-based outlet were showing the WC on DirecTV, I'd watch it there.

ixnay
 
Since I don't have cable, I watched most of the games on Univision as well.

But I saw the England-Portugal game on ABC, where O'Brien repeatedly referred to Cristiano Ronaldo as "Christian" Ronaldo. The most basic element I learned in my college sports broadcasting days was "know the players' names". It doesn't matter what sport you call, or how familiar you are with the sport in the first place. Write down the names on a big grid, with their uniform numbers, in large print. Know the players' names, especially if they happen to be one of the most recognizable players in the world. Preparation is vital.

That said, I did play-by-play for one soccer game in college, and it was brutal. There is far too much time to fill when you don't have a second announcer!
 
The only good thing I have to say about the coverage on ESPN was that they were not talking about how wonderful drug addict Barry Bonds was.
 
The come-lately crowd is a cheap knock-off of the likes of Jim McKay and other pioneering sports broadcasters who could run with any sports commentary sans script, endless producers and information spoon fed to them via IFBs in their ears. McKay, Schenkle et al simply had what it takes.
 
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